Motorcyclists hold protest motorcade

Thousands of motorcycle riders trooped to the People Power Monument in Quezon City on Sunday morning to hold a National Unity Ride in strong opposition to the law requiring motorcycles to have bigger license plates and other identification marks.

The more than 1,000 riders said the recently approved law only puts the lives of the riders and the public in extreme danger.

They occupied three lanes along the northbound side of EDSA-White Plains, slowing down the flow of traffic.

After the program, the riders continued with the motorcade to Trinoma in the northern part of EDSA.

They continued on to the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) further going to Macapagal and Diokno Boulevards and finally to the Senate where the unity ride ended.

Motorists expressed their frustration as traffic along the said areas turned heavy even in the early morning hours as only two lanes were passable due to the gathering in front of the People Power Monument.

Under the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act, which was signed by President Duterte on March 8, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is mandated to issue bigger, readable and color-coded license plates to every motorcycle in the country.

The plate numbers should be big enough to be readable from a distance of at least 15 meters from the motorcycle.

However, transport groups have opposed the use of bigger license plates for motorcycles saying that it may endanger the rider and the pedestrians.

"If we place plates that are too big and will be affected by wind, there's no assurance that the mounting points will hold these plates in place," Joebert Bolanos of Riders of the Philippines said.